Career Fair Networking Guide

Take advantage of the opportunity to meet employers and alumni who want to talk to you about their occupations and employment opportunities. Gather information on career options, develop a network of contacts, identify job openings, or secure an interview.

Use these tips to network at a Career Fair:

Expand your focus: Approach employers that appear unrelated to your major. Technical companies offer non-technical positions, and vice-versa. A technical company may have openings in human resources, marketing, public relations, or accounting. Employers do look for candidates with a strong liberal arts background and internship experience.

Communicate your purpose: If you are looking for a job, state the type of position that interests you. If you are gathering information, tell employers that you are exploring career options and are interested in learning about them.

Make a strong first impression: When meeting employers, introduce yourself offer a firm handshake, make eye contact, state your purpose, ask questions, listen and act professionally. If you plan to request an interview, dress in business attire.

Highlight your strengths: Be prepared to discuss your qualifications that are most related to the job. Include clear, concise examples to demonstrate your qualifications. Practice your verbal presentation (a 30- to 60-second "commercial" about yourself) so you can approach employers with confidence.

Bring your resumé: Bring enough resumés to give to organizations you are targeting. Carry them in a portfolio. Do not include "expand my options" as one of your objectives. (See resumé pointers.)

Ask questions: Use questions to increase your knowledge of industry trends, job options, and career paths. Try questions like these:

What entry-level positions in (your career interest) are available in your organization?

What kind of background do you look for when filling these positions?

How do you see this field changing over the next 5 years?

What advice would you give me if I wanted to break into this field?

How did you get involved with this industry/organization? What keeps you involved?

Follow-up: Request a business card for your records. If you want a job interview, follow up with a thank you note or email within 24 hours, and include your resumé.